Thursday, April 30, 2009

Yes, Swine Flu, pretty much fills the headlines of the ST every single day, number of deaths in Mexico rising, number of suspected cases rising etc..sad news really.(makes me wonder why we sometimes choose to make war,and not appreciate the peaceful times) It's beginning to cause some people to panic on our little island. News of people stocking up on medication and masks.

At times, I ask myself why is it I chose to study what I'm currently reading. And I think I've found my answer (it's more likely I re-found my answer).

Random post I guess. For the people close to my heart and are overseas (some in the affected areas), I pray for your safety in these uncertain times. I hope this blows over soon enough.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Oh man, I actually am beginning to feel old! This year's search for the hottest babes and hunks along Siloso Beach is back! To think just a year back, I was counting down to the Siloso Hotbods 2008 Finals! ANYWAY..

This year, the Siloso Hotbods '08 Finalists are part of the Hotness Squad! I had tons of fun searching for hot babes & hunks along Siloso last Saturday! Oh yes, there's a blog where you'll see entries from the Hotness Squad! Including their hot favourite picks for the day!!

The prizes and sponsors this yr are just fantastic! So if any one would like to sign up for Siloso Hotbods '09, head down to Siloso HotBods 2009 where more details are available, (and of course, the Hot Blogs!) Did I mention this yr's finals is held in conjunction with 98.7fm's Life's a Beach Party?

April 16, 2009 - Kerry Davis and Scott Dalton

Survival Mode pits your team against never ending waves of infected. Sounds simple. Just trap the survivors in a small part of a map, unleash the hordes, and record the longest time. Survival Mode, which will be released next week, is actually a bit more than that.

Our goals for Survival Mode are to deliver a mode of play distinct from Campaign or Versus, have games that regularly last under ten minutes, and emphasize competition with team play through leaderboards.

Survival Mode draws on the planning and communication aspects of a successful Finale or Crescendo event, while taking it to another level. It rapidly hits a fever pitch that only a well coordinated team will be able to successfully survive. Everything from simply covering a reviving teammate, to making every shot count to minimize reloads becomes crucial in Survival Mode.

Given the importance of pacing in Survival Mode, we need to define as precisely as possible how the difficulty ramps up during the course of a round. We have numerous variables to work with: mob spawn frequency, special infected spawn frequency, number of each type of special infected, total number of special infected, tank spawn frequency, total number of tanks, and so on. We need all of these variables to work together to create a fairly smooth difficulty curve.

If the curve ramps up too sharply, we find that teams of all skill levels tend to hit a wall at the same time. There isn't enough variation in the times to separate great teams from average ones. If the curve is too flat, then average teams will have a good experience, but really good teams can grind on long enough to cross the line from having fun to just getting worn out.

It might seem that just gradually increasing spawn rates and numbers of infected will create a nice smooth curve, but it turns out to be much trickier than that. Each type of infected has its own spawn schedule, so even though the individual spawn curves may be designed to be fairly easy at a particular point in time, sometimes they overlap in just such a way that the players find themselves in a really bad situation far earlier than we intend.

For example, a tank will be much harder to fight if a mob of common infected spawns at the same time - and nearly impossible if three hunters also show up right at that moment. A similar situation can happen due to variables outside our control - a team may not dispatch a tank or mob quickly enough, causing subsequent waves to start arriving and piling on to an already difficult battle. It's also hard to anticipate when teams will need to make an ammo run or heal up, both of which can be extremely difficult only a few minutes into the round. In order to help visualize these overlap points and the collapse of each spawn curve, we graphed out the wave behavior of infected over the course of a survival round.

The last variable we added was the "lull" - a short interval of time during which nothing new will spawn. Each lull gets slightly longer as the round progresses, but that's no guarantee the team will actually see the lull - it just prevents new infected from spawning. It doesn't help with infected that are already in the arena. Killing mobs and tanks as quickly as possible is the best way to ensure that a team can take advantage of a lull to heal, resupply ammo, or just move to a better location with more supplies.

Given the extreme pace of Survival Mode, the number of zombies killed in a single round often outnumbers an entire campaign. Even optimizing towards using pistols to eliminate common hordes, ammunition usually becomes an issue at some point. As ammo piles provide a unique infinite resupply for players, they tend to be in relatively less defensible positions in the Survival arenas. This means making an all important ammo run is rarely a safe proposition and requires good teamwork and planning. Timing your resources correctly to be able to make a run when necessary can make or break a team. The perfect pipebomb or well placed molotov can mean the difference between a cakewalk and catastrophe.

The Hospital Elevator, for example, might seem like an easy Crescendo Event to conquer. Hit the elevator button and holdout until the doors open for a quick escape. In Survival Mode, however, the area begins locked down. Areas open as the hordes come in, breaking down the doors to reach the survivors. In each room there are additional caches of vital pills, pipes, and Molotovs. By moving from location to location, using up the plentiful supplies as needed, a team can maximize their time in a game where the elevator never arrives to offer escape. In other maps, items may be less plentiful and require careful planning on their usage. Managing one's inventory and resources works hand-in-hand with teamwork in Survival Mode.

Friday, April 17, 2009

Next! The most important reason why I'm blogging this entry is to thank some really special people in my life. I know many people don't really know what's been going on with me recently (due to my lack of entries here) but have been the most patient people I know. (Okay, I know i'm starting to blabber..so I'll get straight down to this entry)

Over the recent month, someone I treasured walked right out of my life, just like that. (Won't bore you all with the details really) Whole issue was really messy, and kind of lasted for close to three weeks. That period of time was just tough, but at the same time, I had a few people who stood by me and helped me through it, people i'm really thankful for.

Some of you were people I've known for some time, and although it never came across that I could be so hurt, I'm really thankful for you guys just being there to listen to me, called me when I needed a friend most and even stayed up online with me (despite being tired) just because you knew I was hurting inside.

Some of you were people I've barely spoken to, or even said hi to. But yet, there all of you were, and still are.I'm thankful for that, and am anticipating what lies ahead in the new friendship. I've learned alot through this whole issue. Much as it's been a trying time (due to this issue and my exam) for me, I've lost and I've gained.

To you, I thank you for everything that has happened. Be it the time spent together, apart or even the ups and downs of everything. I'm glad to see that you've grown, and so have I. You've taught me what it's like to love someone, to compromise and to let go. For all that, I appreciate you and everything you've said and done.

To those that I've met and I might lose, please know that i'm really sorry that we didn't have the time to meet or really speak, or that I was just plainly shy then. Looking back, maybe I shouldn't have been all that shy. All of you have left footprints in my life, and I probably might not have the chance of saying all these in person, but I appreciate spending that little time with all of you.

There are so many other people I want to say 'Thank you' to, and let them know how much I appreciate each and every one of them. But I know no words can really express how grateful I am. To those who hung out with me, to those who counselled me, to those who listened, to those who I never opened up to, but yet were still so concerned about me and to those who are/were overseas and still made the point of emailing me, I appreciate each and every one of you.

I know one day I'll smile again. (and yes, it's because of the things that each and every one of you have said/done)

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I'm really sorry to those who read this blog..But I've been really busy with things, and haven't really had the time to blog at all!

As for those who know of my current ongoings, I just want to let you guys know that I'm absolutely absolutely appreciative of everything that's been said and done for me. I know I need to be strong, believe me, I'm trying. I promise one day you guys will see me smiling again.

I'll be taking a hiatus from blogging for a while, but for those special people in my life, please please do come by here after next week or so, I have something in store for you guys.